DOE Small Business Vouchers Program is Now Open

The Energy Department's Small Business Vouchers (SBV) program is once again accepting Requests for Assistance (RFA) from U.S. small businesses interested in working with a national laboratory to address a range of commercialization challenges. $12 million in vouchers, which range from $50,000 to $300,000 in value, are available for rounds three and four of the program.

The SBV program launched its first funding round in fall 2015 and released its second last spring. Since then, nearly 800 applications have been reviewed and 76 small businesses from 25 states have been awarded a total of $14.7 million in vouchers.

SBV gives our nation's cleantech small businesses the opportunity to take their innovative products to the next level. By supporting their growth, the U.S. helps these companies make a more meaningful impact on the economy and clean-energy sector.

Businesses interest in SBV assistance must be U.S.-based and U.S.-owned, with no more than 500 full-time employees worldwide. Companies have until November 10 to submit RFAs.

To learn more about the program and find out when educational webinars are for businesses interested in applying, please visit www.SBV.org. Also check out this cool article about the efforts featured at SXSW-Eco!]

The Tennessee Valley region is home to six major automotive manufacturers with a supply chain of over 900 mostly small- and medium-sized businesses, employing more than 100,000 people.

About IMCP

DRIVE! for the Future is an Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP) initiative for a 69 county region in central Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky and Georgia. IMCP is designed to encourage communities to develop comprehensive economic development strategies that will strengthen their competitive edge for attracting global manufacturer and supply chain investments.